Cadeyrn Neville will become the oldest Wallabies player in more than 20 years to make his test rugby debut after his surprise inclusion in the Australia side to face England on Saturday in Perth.
The 33-year-old Neville was a confirmed starter at lock on Thursday — 10 years after he was called into the squad without earning a cap.
In 2012, Neville was in his first year playing for the Melbourne Rebels — his first of three Australian Super Rugby sides — when he was drafted into the Wallabies squad to travel to Argentina and then later on a British tour. But he never made it into a matchday 23.
But after shifting to Queensland, a stint in Japan, and then the ACT Brumbies in 2020, Neville has been rewarded. He's the third oldest player to debut for the Wallabies since World War Two, behind ex-Springbok Tiaan Strauss in 1999 (33 years, 349 days), and one-test back-rower Ken Yanz in 1958 (33 years, 295 days).
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie also named David Porecki to make his test debut. Porecki spent five years in English rugby with Saracens and London Irish before returning to Australia in 2020 and playing in the New South Wales Waratahs front row.